Safety-cabinet.



G. VON ALLMEN.

SAFETY CABINET;

APPLlCATlON FILED AUG. 19. 1914.

1,1 98,292. PatentedSept. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I Mm @zvZ/rzkd flazzufldlrzem Wanna/a I K I mr Ivonms PEYERS cm. pnomumo WASijANGI'UN, n. c.

G. VON ALLMEN. SAFETY CABINET APPLICATION FILED AUG- I9, 1914.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z attomu m: Nflums PEIERS 0a.. PNOYII 1.11m: WASHING Am. 1:. c.

@FFTQE.

GODFRIEID VON ALLMEN, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SAFETY-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed August 19, 1914. Serial No. 857,572.

1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gomucmo VON ALLMEN, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets for the reception of vessels of uniform height containing merchandise, and for said vessels after their contents have been emptied, to facilitate the mutual transfer of full and empty receptacles or vessels between dealer and purchaser with the minimum loss of time and little trouble for either party.

The invention has for its object to provide a cabinet containing two separate compartments, each closed by a hinged door, a single fastening device for securing the two doors in closed position, or either closed while the other is open; means on either door which, when a door is open, prevents the fastening device being moved to release the other door, and means in each compartment actuated by a suitable vessel or re ceptacle placed therein which permits the fastening device to be moved sutliciently to secure its own door and release the door of the other compartment, but if a door be closed without placing a vessel in the compartment, said means will prevent complete movement of the fastening device and hold the door of the second compartment closed.

The cabinet is designed for the use of vessels or receptacles of the same height, as milk bottles, which are delivered early in the morning, a bottle being placed in a compartment after removing an empty one therefrom.

The cabinet may be made of wood or sheet metal, preferably the latter, and may be sufficiently deep to contain two or more bottles, one of which must be of proper height to actuate the stop means in the compartment.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire cabinet, the door of one of the compartments being open. Fig. 2 is a vertical see tional view from front to rear through one of the compartments. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view to show the interior arrangement in plan. Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 of the upper portion of the cabinet with the locking plate in lowered position.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the cabinet as a whole divided into two compartments 11 and 12 by two parallel partitions 13 and 1 1 spaced apart a short distance and extending from front to rear and from top to bottom of the cabinet. The compartments 11 and 12 are closed by doors 15, 16, hinged to the bottom of the cabinet and when closed reach nearly to the top thereof. The front of each compartment 11, 12, above the door openings is covered by a strip 17 extending across the cabinet, forming thereby a pocket in each compartment for a purpose to be described later.

l Vithin each compartment are two rails 18, one secured to the side of the cabinet and the other to the partition 13 or 1:1. The tops of these rails lie in a horizontal plane a short distance below the bottom of the strip 17 and preferably extend the depth of the compartment. Supported upon the rails 18 in each compartment is a loose plate 19 which is raised at its front end, or bodily from said rails above the bottom of the strip 17 into the pocket behind the same whenever a receptacle of the proper height is placed within the compartment. To facilitate the insertion of a receptacle and the elevation of the plate 19, the front edge 20 thereof is beveled on its underside as shown. I

F astened on the inner edge of the door 15 is a quadrant-shaped plate 21 that moves with the door when the latter is opened and closed, and travels close to that side of the partition 13 facing the space 22 between the partitions 13, 1-1. The free edge 23 of said quadrant plate is shown bent at a right angle to engage the front wall 24: of the space 22 when the door is opened and thus serves as a stop to limit the downward movement of said door. A chain 25, connected to the door and to the side of the compartment may also be provided, if necessary to further support the door in its open position. A quadrant plate 26 similar through which a fastening bolt 28 for securing the door closed is adapted to pass, a notch 29 being made in the quadrant plate 21 near its connection with the door 15 to permit the bolt sliding only when said door is closed. A similar opening 30 is made in the partition 14; in line with the opening 27 for the opposite end of the bolt 28 to pass when the latter is moved toward the com partment 12. A notch in the quadrant plate 26, corresponding to the notch 29 in the quadrant plate 21, permits the bolt to move when the door 16 is closed.

The bolt 28 is mounted on the front wall 2 lof the space 22 within said space and lies in a horizontal position in line with the openings 27, 30 in the partitions. T he bolt slides freely in a suitable support and is sufficiently long to engage the notch 29 in the quadrant plate 21 and a corresponding notch (not shown) in the quadrant plate 26 and hold both doors closed. If moved to the extreme right or left of the position where it locks both doors, one or the other end is withlrawn from a notch in a quadrant plate and the door to which said plate is connected may be opened, the other door, however, remaining securely fastened. For sliding the bolt, a pin connected thereto projects through a horizontal slot 32 in the front wall 24 and is provided on its outer end with a button or knob 33 to be grasped by the fingers.

Assuming that there is a vessel or receptacle in one or both compartments, the plate 19 in such compartment will be lifted by said receptacle into the pocke behind the strip 17 as in Fig. 2, the plate being carried above the opening 27. The bolt 28 may now be moved toward this compartment into its extreme position, the end of the bolt passing beneath the plate 19 and its opposite end from the notch in the quadrant plate of the door of the other compartment. The door of the compartment thus unfastened may be lowered and the empty receptacle taken therefrom, and a filled one inserted thereinto. Upon withdrawal of the empty receptacle, the plate 19 at the top of the compartment being unsupported drops upon the rails 18, the edge of the plate adjacent the partition covering the opening therein and preventing the bolt 28 being moved sufficiently far to unlock the door of the other compartment until the plate has been. again lifted and the door closed to bring the notch in the quadrant plate in line with the bolt. It will be understood that the plate 19 will prevent movement of the bolt while the door is open and the compartment empty. The act of placing another receptacle in the compartment lifts the plate 19 and uncovers the opening in the partition so that when the door is closed and the notch in the quadrant plate thereon brought into line with the bolt, the latter may be moved sufiicie-ntly far toward said compartment to unlock the other door.

From the aforesaid description it will be apparent that only one compartment can be opened at a time and that said compartment must be closed and locked with a receptacle therein either filled or empty before the other compartment can be opened. Mistakes will. thus be prevented and the exchange of filled for en'ipty receptacles facilitated.

What is claimed is,

1. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each connpartment, a single fastening device for seem-ing said doors in closed position, and a locking means for said device in each compartment actuated. by an article placed therein to unlock said fastening device and permit the other compartment to be opened after the first compartment has been closed.

2. it cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment, a single fastening device for securing said doors in closed position, and a gravity locking means in the top of either compartment to lock said device and prevent unlocking the door of the other compartment except when said means is raised by an article of determined height placed within the first compartment.

3. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment, a single fastening device for securing said doors in closed position, and a gravity locking means in either compartment to prevent unlocking the door of the other compartment except when said means is raised by an article placed within the first compartment.

i. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment, a single fastening device for securing-said doors in closed. position, and a locking means in either compartment for preventing movement of the fastening device to unlock the other compartment when said first compartment is empty and the door closed, each of said locking means adapted to be actuated by an article of determined height placed in the compartment containing the same for unlocking the fastening device to release the door of the other compartment after the door of its own compartment has been closed.

5. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment, a single fastening device for securing said doors in closed position, a plate on one side of each. door provided wit-h a notch with which said fastening device engages to secure said. doors when closed, and an automatic locking means in either compartment actuated by an article placed therein to unlock said fastening means and to permit the door of the other compartment to be opened.

6. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment, a single fastening device for securing said doors in closed position, a plate on one side of each door having a notch in its edge with which said fastening device engages to secure the doors when closed, and a movable plate in the top of each compartment normally locking said fastening device against movement but which unlocks said fastening device when either is raised by an article of determined height placed in a compartment to release the door of the other compartment after the door of its own compartment has been closed.

7. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment hinged to the bottom of the cabinet, a sliding bolt for securing said doors in closed position, and a loosely mounted horizontal plate in the top of either compartment to lock the bolt against movement and prevent unlocking the door of the other compartment except when said plate is raised by an article of determined height placed within the first compartment.

8. A cabinet for the purpose described containing two separate compartments, a door for each compartment hinged to the bottom of the cabinet, a quadrant-shaped plate affixed to each door and having a notch in one edge near the door, a sliding bolt for engaging said notches and locking the doors in closed position, and a loose plate in the top of each compartment normally supported in line with said fastening bolt to prevent movement of the bolt to unlock the doors of the compartments except when said plates are raised above the line of movement of the bolt by an article of determined height placed within a compartment.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GODFRIED VON ALLMEN.

WVitnesses:

DAYTON T. MrrcHELL, L. KEENE.

Copies of thil patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

